Disclaimer: As stated before, I do NOT own Harry Potter. Enjoy!

Chapter Three: Slytherin

It took her a while to finally comprehend what the Hat had announced.

Slythern.

Slytherin?

Slytherin!

Her brothers didn't seem to be taking it all that better either: Al was staring open-mouthed at her – his 'Before School' book lain forgotten on the ground – and it was obvious to anyone that James was swearing under his breath while glaring at both the Slytherin table and the patched hat.

Professor Longbottom, who stood behind Lily, cleared his throat and said hoarsely, "You should join your Housemates at the S...Slyther-Slytherin table."

Lily bowed her head in shame as she trudged towards the sea of green. Nobody congratulated her – or even acknowledged her, in fact – but Lily couldn't have cared less.

She had, like Scorpius, broken her family House tradition, but while Scorpius broke his all-Slytherin Malfoy tradition for the better, Lily had just disappointed everyone.

Headmistress McGonagall made the usual Beginning of the Year speech and then the food appeared on the plates. However, despite all the delicious-looking dishes she'd been dying to taste ever since James had begun to taunt her about it during his first year, Lily only took a fudge pastry to nibble on for the duration of the meal.

As soon as it was allowed, Lily bolted from her seat. But when she reached the Entrance Hall, she realized that she had no idea where to go. She didn't know where the Slytherin common room was, since the prefects were supposed to lead the first years there, and she didn't know where else she could go.

"It won't be that bad, you know," a voice said.

Lily spun around and spotted a tall girl with an upturned nose and narrowed eyes. However, she had on a genuine smile. "Hi. My name's Penelope Parkinson, but you can – and you will – call me Penny."

"I'm –" Lily began.

"I know who you are," Penny interrupted. "I'm in Slytherin, you know." She pointed towards her chest, where a green and silver tie was tucked neatly underneath her black robes.

"So why are you talking to me?"

Penny laughed. "Both my parents were children of Death Eater, but I couldn't have cared less about Slytherin. What I wanted to be in was Ravenclaw."

"Ravenclaw?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Penny sighed, almost longingly. "I love reading and I have a schedule for just about everything I do." She grinned. "I'm such an obsessive organizer."

"So why were you put in Slytherin?"

"Why were you put in Slytherin?" Penny countered. "C'mon. I'll show you the common rooms, not to mention give you a tour of the castle. Trust me: it won't be nearly as boring as the prefects'."

Lily smiled. "Then I think I'll enjoy it."

The common room had five four-poster beds. Each was draped in Slytherin green and silver. Lily picked the one near a window (how there were windows when they were down in the dungeons, and probably underneath the lake, she didn't know).

Three of the other girls gathered on one bed and began flipping through a magazine, occasionally shooting sly glances at Lily. Lily ignored them and settled down in her bed, Muggle Democrats placed on the side table.

She had thoroughly immersed herself into the book (which was highly impossible since it was a very boring book, but Lily did inherit her maternal grandfather's love for Muggles) when something sounded like her name was whispered. She looked up and realized that her fourth roommate, a blonde, was standing timidly by her bed. Lily patted a place near the foot of the bed and smiled at her encouragingly.

The girl climbed on and awkwardly stuck out her hand. "M-my...uh…I'm Madelyn. Madelyn Starr." She leaned in close and whisper-added, "I'm Muggleborn."

"You don't look it," Lily observed. "Actually, you look more pureblood than half-blood, but it doesn't really matter anymore; my brother Al told me that even Slytherin's been more open about blood status ever since Aunt Hermione passed that law on blood purity."

"Hermione Granger? She's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Maddy said.

"And my aunt," Lily added. "My dad works under her, but they rarely see each other; my dad goes through the Ministry doors about five times every day. He's the Head Auror, you know," Lily added.

"Yes, I actually do know," Maddy said. "He's Harry Potter, you know."

"Yes, I know. But he's just my dad to me."

The two girls looked at each other and burst out into simultaneous giggles.

A girl's head then popped in. A shiny badge with the Slytherin snake wrapped around the word P was pinned to her robes. "Lights out in five minutes."

Maddy smiled and slid off of Lily's bed. She then climbed into her own and turned so she was facing Lily. Lily switched off her light and snuggled underneath the covers.

It was well past midnight when the girls finally went to sleep.

Sky: Yay! Lily's made two friends in Slytherin! I decided to make Slytherin a bit more open after the Second War and excepting Muggleborns too, since there aren't many purebloods left and, besides, it wouldn't make sense for Lily to become so quick friends with a pureblood princess.